


Small Gestures

by agoodwoman



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4923562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agoodwoman/pseuds/agoodwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Season 9, Mulder and Scully are on the run and it's her birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Gestures

On Scully’s first birthday after they went on the run, Mulder decided he needed to do what he could to make it special. He couldn’t take her out for a nice dinner and dancing, a repeat of a date they had before he was taken, before he went on a search for answers, and before she had to make the ultimate sacrifice of giving up William. Before seemed like a lifetime ago.

 

They were there because of him and in the end, even though she chose to be there, he wanted to make sure she knew he appreciated it. He wasn’t good at grand gestures but he could do something to make her smile, he used to be good at that.

 

He used his awkwardly large metal key to open the door, carrying a tray of hot coffee and using his teeth to carry the white paper bag filled with freshly baked pastries.

 

Scully was no longer laying on her stomach, her freshly dyed brown locks splayed out on the overbleached white pillow. Sunlight peeked through the threadbare curtains, illuminating a small sliver of the bed and Mulder set their breakfast on the table under the window. He looked around the room and found it to be empty and his heart filled with panic.

 

The bed wasn’t made, some clothes from last night that Mulder had torn off her body were still about the room and he saw her sneakers on the floor.

 

There was a sound from the bathroom and Scully exited the small enclosure wrapped in a towel and her hair dripping down her shoulders. Her eyes were wet and red as though she had been crying and Mulder’s heart filled with dread.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked and took a few steps towards her.

 

Scully found a fresh pair of underpants from her bag on the desk and sat down on the second bed that was untouched from last night’s activities. Her body was shaking from trying to control her emotions and it was a battle she was losing. Various items of her running clothing were tossed behind her and left there overnight. She would need to wash those today.

 

“I thought...” her voice wavered and Mulder knelt down in front of her.

 

“I wouldn’t,” he promised.

 

“I woke up, you were gone and there was no note...” she looked around the room. “You left me the car and I assumed...”

 

“Scully,” he stopped her.

 

After all they had been through, after all that had happened, would she really think he would leave her without a trace on her birthday of all days? When he asked her this she scoffed and shook her head as to say she didn’t know. She wiped away a single tear that dared to fall and she refused to look at him.

 

“Scully,” he urged. “I know your life would have been so much better off without me in it, I know the pain and all the trouble it would have saved you-”

 

“But-” she started and he held his hand up.

 

“But I know as much as I need you, you need me too. You’ve always chosen this. I wouldn’t change a day of what we’ve been through,” he finished. She nodded slighty and Mulder took her hands in his. “I’ve asked you to leave before. I don’t know why... I wouldn’t leave. You might need to remind me from time to time but I’m telling you now that I know it never works when we’re not together.”

 

“What if I left?” she asked tentatively.

 

“I’d find you,” he stated simply.

 

Scully nodded and she tugged on the top of the towel she had wrapped around herself. The air in the room was chilled and goosebumps had started to rise on her ivory skin. She looked over to the paper bags and coffee cups on the desk. “Is one of those for me?”

 

Mulder nodded then shook his head with a self deprecating laugh. “I even got you a fucking candle.”

 

“Let’s have it then,” she said, gesturing to the items on the table and her mouth curved upwards in a smile.

 

“What time did you sneak out of here to get this?” she asked, wiping away the last of the tears.

 

“Seven,” he replied as he got up from the floor and returned a few seconds later with her coffee and a giant chocolate chip banana muffin with a candle sticking out of it.

 

“Mulder,” she started.

 

She looked around for her shirt and he reached over to the other side of the bed to find where he had tossed it last night in haste, his mouth needing to taste her after her run.

 

“Not that one,” she said and he handed her one of his he had stripped off himself last night. She donned the white Hanes t shirt and Mulder made a mock pouting face. “What is this?”

 

He handed her a hot paper cup with flavoured coffee and she took a grateful sip. He produced a lighter and before he lit the candle in the muffin he asked, “Banana chocolate chip muffin okay or would you rather have the brownie?”

 

“It’s my birthday, maybe I’ll have both,” Scully replied with a grin.

 

Mulder struck his thumb across the spark wheel and lit the candle carefully. “Make a wish, Scully.”

She closed her eyes briefly, wishing for what? Normalcy? To spend time longer than a week in small towns on the west coast? They had traveled the summer in Canada and then headed back down to the United States, crossing the border with fake passports and not so much as a second glance from the CPB. Just a nice Canadian couple coming down for a weekend shopping trip. That was two months ago and they were able to sample the beaches in Oregon and down through northern California.

 

“What did you wish for?” he asked after she blew out the candle.

 

Scully took a sip from her coffee again and raised her eyebrow. “You know if I tell you it won’t come true.”

 

“Do you believe in that?” he asked, taking a sip from his own coffee.

 

“I used to, when I was little,” she said and tore off a piece of the moist pastry. “Maybe a wish is a prayer we say to a God we don’t know exists.”

 

“But you believe in God,” he said gently.

 

Scully looked down at her lap and up at him, her eyes were wet and full of the sadness of everything they've been through for the last 10 years together. How did she live every day with him after all he's put her through?

 

 

“I do but I don’t expect you to.”

 

Mulder kissed her forehead softly and leaned his against hers. “I have believe in your faith in miracles. We both experienced it.”

 


End file.
